Horse racing game



March 10, 1953 A. R.'zAlcH|cK HORSE RACING GAME s Smets-sheet 2 Filed July 19,v 1949 r M n e w I NR. Zai/ick wh'.

All /J mow AT v v Abraham By @uw aad March 10, 1953 A. R. zAlcHlcK HORSE RACING GAME 3. Smets-Sheet 3 Filed July 19, 1949 Inventor Abraham R. Zaic/ck By www M@ -SHOW PLACE transparent face I4.

Patented Mar. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HORSE RACING GAME Abraham R. Zaichick, Middletown, Conn.

Application July 19, 1949, Serial No. 105,574

(ci 27s- 86) Claims.

'I'his invention relates to game apparatus, and more particularly appertains to a racing game in which models or pieces simulating horses or the like are moved along a course by mechanical or other means, the progress of the pieces being recorded on a remote score board or chart.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a combined game of skill and chance wherein individual spring-actuated or similar mechanical means are provided for impelling each piece or horse replica forwardly and upwardly` along its respective guideway, the game piece or horse replica being then free to travel downwardly from the upper starting point under its own impetus to the lower finish point, with a series of contact points being provided along the guideway so as to record on a chart or board the travel of the game piece and to indicate the winners of a race.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for moving the contact points disposed along the guideway out of contact engagement by the game piece or horse replica, in the event that the game piece is impelled upwardly beyond the starting point, thus insuring that a certain amount of skill is required in controlling the initial movement of the game piece or horse replica.

These and ancillary objects and structural features of merit are attained by this invention, a preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the ac#- companying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a game apparatus, constructed in accordance with the prin- -ciples of this invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of one of the individual casings housing a game piece, .the fixed Generally, as seen in Figure 1, this invention which is directed to an apparatus for use as a group game, comprises an elongated illuminated board I0 which has a translucent or A plurality of longitudinally extending, vvertically spaced sets of lamps behind the face I4 in alignment with the longitudinally extending rows I8. Each of the lamps I6 is disposed in alignment with one of the blocks or sections 20 in each of the rows I8. A row I8 is provided and corresponds to one of the individual housings 22 for the game pieces or replicas of race horses 24. Of course, various other objects may be simulated, such as racing cars, or the like. It is to be noted that the space I4 is inscribed at each of its ends with the names of the particular pieces 24, so as to iden,- tify each of the pieces. Also, the vertical co1- umns are arranged at one end of the board, the columns being the win, place and show re spectively, the columns also being in alignment with lamp I6.

The casing 22 consists of a rectangular bot-` tom portion 26 having upstanding side walls and connected end walls with a top wall 28 being disposed at one end of the casing. A rectangular transparent cover 30 is disposed on the remaining open portion of the top section and is secured at one end to a back board 32 which has a transparent front face 34 and a back section 36 to define a compartment 38.

A trackway or guideway 40 is formed within the transparent housing 30 and includes two longitudinally extending, downwardly inclined strips 42 and 44 disposed on the top of the casing 26 and spaced at their inner edges from each other. The game pieces 24 are mounted on wheeled carriages 46, the carriage being adapted to travel on opposed tracks 48 and 50 the track 28,

Means is provided for forcing or moving the game pieces upwardly to the starting pointat the top of the guideway 40 and includes a lever 52 which is pivoted, as at 54, to one of the side -walls of the easing 26 and which is provided with an offset end 5s extending through a slot 58 in the opposing side wall. A spring 60 is anchored, as at 62, to the bottom wall of the casing 26 and connected, as at 64. to the lever in order to retain the lsame in its forward position and urge the same forwardly, when it is manually moved rearwardly about its pivot 54 and released.

When the lever 52 is released, it is adapted "to move against a plunger 66 which is slidably disposed in a U-shaped retaining bracket 68. The plunger is provided at its forward end with an enlarged button 1U adapted to strike against a depending bar 12, which is formed integrally with the carriage 46. A spring i4 is concentrically disposed about the rear end of the striker rod or bar 66 and is positioned between a transverse pin 16 and the rearward leg of the U- shaped bracket 68, so as to retain lthe plunger in position for engagement by the lever 52. Thus, it can be seen that by moving the lever 52 rearwardly and then releasing the same, the lever is urged by the spring 60 into striking engagement on the plunger 66. The plunger 66 is thus moved forwardly into striking engagement with the bar 'I2 carried by the carriage 46, urging the carriage upwardly along the inclined trackway to the starting point, adjacent the back board 32.'

An elongated bar 80 carries a series of spaced laterally extending xed contact elements 82, the bar B being normally disposed in the path of travel of the piece 24, so that the xed contact points 82 are engaged by a contact member 84, which extends laterally from the game piece 24. The bar 8D is pivoted at its opposing ends as at 86 and 88 von cams 90 and 92 which are pivoted as at 94 and 96 to retaining brackets ||l|l`and |32. The contact 84 comprises a wiper arm |04 which is constructed with a rubber face |06 so that, as the game piece moves upwardly, the rubber face hits against the contact 82 and does not form a circuit with the contact rod 80 and the contact points 82, which may be silver points.

While the -rod or contact bar 80 is normally disposed parallel with the game piece 24, so that the xed points 82 are contacted by the wiper arm |04, inthe event that the game piece is impelled upwardly at such a rate of speed so that it passes by the rst fixed contact point 32 on the rod 80, the carriage 43 will strike against the cam 90, pivoting the same about its pivot point 96 and moving the pivoted end 8-6 on the cams. When the cam Sil moves about it-s pivot point, the end 86 of the bar 80 is moved outwardly and upwardly, thus moving the rear cam 92 rearwardly and moving the bar 86 out of parallel placement with the playing piece 24, so that the fixed contact points 82 are moved out of possible engagement by the wiper arm |04. When the carriage 4B descends it strikes rear cam 92 and urges such into engagement with thev reset rod |||l by moving thev rear cam 92 forwardly.

The reset rod ||0 is slidablyl disposed through retaining .brackets ||2 and ||4 and is adapted to be moved outwardly upon movementof the `camiSlZ. The reset rod ||0 is formed with an enlarged outer end HS anda spring` I|'8 is disthe casing 26. Thus, the rod ||0 is normally retained in the position illustrated in Figure 2 by the spring and is provided to reset the rod 80 in its normal parallel position, as illustrated in Figure 2, with respect to .the playing piece immediately behind one of the contact elements t2.,H VSince the game piece 24 will be retained inposed between the end H8 and the end wall of termediate the ends of the tracks 48 and 50 by the engagement of its wiper arm |04 with said one contact element 82, it will be necessary to pivot the bar 8|! away from the wiper arm. This may be accomplished by pressing inwardly on the outer end ||6 of the reset rod ||0. The game piece 24 will then move down the inclined tracks 48 and 50 and strike the cam 92 to reset the bar 80.

Attention is now directed to Figure 5 of the drawings for a more detailed explanation of the wiring arrangement.

It is to be noted that each of the contacts 82 is wired to one of the lamps I6 forming a circuit, which is grounded as at |26. Thus, as the carriage moves downwardly on the track, the arm |04 extending laterally therefrom wipes against the contacts 82 and the lamps I6 are successively illuminated from left to right to depict the rate of travel of the carriage and horse replica mounted thereon. However, in the event that the carriage is propelled up the trackway at too great a speed, the bar 89 will be moved Ainto an angular position, out of its normal straight position, and a switch |28 will be closed, completing a circuit, which is grounded as at |32 and in which are wired lamps |34 and |36, the latter being mounted in the compartmentv 3'8, and illuminate the sign indicating afoul jump on the transparent front face 34 of the compartment 38, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A racing game comprising a casing, an inclined -trackway in said casing, a racing object movably disposed on said trackway, spring actuated means for propelling said .object up the trackway including a lever pivotally mounted in the casing and extending outwardly therefrom, a spring connected to said lever and casing for urging said lever forwardly upon manual retraction and release thereof, a plunger slidably mounted in the casing, ysaid lever swinging against and urging the plunger forwardly, an arm carried by the object and engaged by the plunger, said object having an extending flexible wiper arm, a bar pivot-ally mounted at its opposing ends and normally disposed parallel with and adjacent to the trackway, xed contacts carried by the bar and adapted to be sequentially engaged by the wiper arm, and electrical scoring means associated with said contacts, said bar having depending means at its upper end which upon engagement-by said racing object pivots the bar and xed contacts out ofv position to be engaged by said wiperiarm.

2.' A racing game-comprising a casing, an inclined trackway in said casing, aracing object movably disposed on said trackway, spring actuated means for propelling said object up the trackw'ay including a lever pivotally mounted in the casing and extending outwardly therefrom, a spring connected to said lever and casing for urging said lever forwardly upon manual retraction and release thereof, a plunger slidably mountedv in the casing, said lever swinging against and urging the plunger forwardly, an 'arm carried by the object and engaged by the plunger, said object having an extending nexibl'e wiper arm. a bar pivotally mounted at its opposing ends and normally disposed parallel with and adjacent to the trackway, fixed contacts carried by the bar and adapted to be sequentially engaged by the wiper arm, and electrical scoring means associated with said contacts. said bar y'being mounted at its opposing ends on cams, said cams being pivoted on the casing and one of said cams upon engagement bythe racing object moving the bar relative to the trackway whereby the contacts are moved out'of position for preventing engagement by the wiper arm.

3. A racing game comprisinglv aj casing, an inclined trackway in said casing, a racing object movably disposed on said trackway, said object having an extending flexible Wiper arm, a bar pivotally mounted at its opposingfends and normally disposed parallel with and adjacent to the trackway, xed contacts carriedby the bar and adapted to be sequentially engaged by the wiper arm, and electrical scoring meansfssociated with said contacts, said bar havin-g depending means at its upper end which upon engagement by said racing object pivots Vthe bar and "fixed contacts out of position to be engaged by said wiper arm.

4. A racing game comprising a casing, an inclined trackway in said casing, a racing object movably disposed on said trackway. said object having an extending flexible Wiper arm, a bar pivotally mounted at its opposing ends and normally disposed parallel with and adjacent to the trackway, xed contacts carried by the bar and adapted to be sequentially engaged by the wiper arm, and electrical scoring means associated with said contacts. said bar being mounted at its opposing ends on cams, said cams being pivoted on the casing and one of said cams upon engagement-'by the racing object moving the bar relative to the trackway whereby the contacts are moved out of position for preventing engagement by the Wiper arm.

5. The racing game of claim 4 wherein said one cam actuates a switch for illuminating indiciaj indicating a foul jump when engaged by said vracing object.

ABRAHAM R. ZAICHICK.

REFERENCES CITED The', following references are of record in the 111e of this patent:

UNITED STATES PfsJI'ElyTeiy 

